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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — in football
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — there
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kid — child
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. present — the time now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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