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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: leaves · court · lean · stand · wake · net · calf · file

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — to bear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to bend
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. file — a document
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of a king

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