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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 116 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — the season
  18. mark — a trace
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — to drop

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