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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pop — soda
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — to visit
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. shower — rain
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — goods
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — to pay attention

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