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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wind — moving air

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