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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: wind · present · mug · calf · kid · prune · bass · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — to rob
  12. present — there
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. kid — child
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mug — a face
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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