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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. shower — rain
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rule — a law
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rule — government
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. calf — a young animal

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