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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — the season
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — a tool

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