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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. spell — letters
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — help
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — to recline

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