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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: calf · toast · lie · wake · stand · kid · board · pitcher

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — to recline
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. toast — bread
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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