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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — all right
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — final
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fine — high quality
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — thin

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