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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: stand · calf · lie · swing · game · safe · can · march

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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