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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — electricity
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cell — a phone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — in control
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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