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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — on your feet

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