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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: last · mouse · calf · stand · stick · game · fan · bound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — final
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — to go on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bound — certain
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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