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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — a company
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — bread
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. drill — army training

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