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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lean — thin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — on a finger

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