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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — in music

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