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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · saw · ball · calf · tear · stand · rule · wake

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rule — government
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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