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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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