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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. calf — of the leg

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