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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — bread
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. present — there
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chest — a box
  24. present — the time now

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