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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — in cards
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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