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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — the most important part
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. firm — a company
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mark — a trace
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. firm — decided

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