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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — the time now
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — a gift
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — there
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stand — to bear
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — to rob

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