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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chest — of your body
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chest — a box
  24. calf — a young animal

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