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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: toast · firm · pit · leaves · stick · cell · hand · calf

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — decided
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — steady
  13. toast — bread
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pit — a hole
  24. toast — the most admired

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