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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. snap — to click
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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