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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · stand · bat · cabinet · calf · foot · dip · patient

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. object — a thing
  5. dip — to sink
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — to protest
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — to bear
  24. object — an aim

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