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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — clever
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — a football final

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