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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 124 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — a measure
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  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