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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — a measure

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