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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — finally
  12. capital — money
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. last — final
  23. capital — a city
  24. stand — on your feet

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