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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: rock · lie · stand · face · calf · arm · chair · wound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — a leader
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rock — a stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to confront
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — part of the head

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