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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. court — of law
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — a face
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hand — help
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — for spectators

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