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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stand — on your feet

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