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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. row — to paddle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — the amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. staff — employees

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