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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com