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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: stand · cell · pitch · tear · calf · lie · stick · patient

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cell — in biology

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