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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — for sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — rain
  24. field — a subject

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