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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: saw · stand · kick · date · calf · race · hand · drill

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. date — the fruit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — help

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