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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — to crush
  19. field — for sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — to bend

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