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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: calf · lean · squash · land · bay · fork · content · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — a country
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — happy
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — the sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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