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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cell — in biology
  11. shower — rain
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. field — a subject
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — for sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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