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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · roll · stand · cell · coach · shower · lash · calf

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. roll — a cake
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. roll — a list
  19. cell — in biology
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — a trainer

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