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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — a series

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