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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. squash — to crush

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