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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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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: straw · stand · game · can · calf · fine · mug · lie

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — all right
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — on your feet

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