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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. content — the amount
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kid — to tease
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. content — happy
  24. pitch — completely

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