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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. last — to go on
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — final
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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