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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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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 · squash · straw · stand · bound · fall · current · sharp

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — certain
  11. stand — to bear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — the season
  18. current — happening now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — dry grass
  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