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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: jam · lean · stand · calf · march · wound · fine · cabinet

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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