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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hand — help
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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