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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. staff — a stick
  6. firm — a company
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — clothes
  17. firm — steady
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — the season

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