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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — size or range
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to point toward

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