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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. present — the time now
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — a gift
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hand — help
  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