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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a face
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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