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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — for light
  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