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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fall — the season
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cold — not warm
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. calf — of the leg

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