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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — the underground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. swing — to play on
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. patient — a sick person

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