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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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