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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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468
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: sharp · stand · calf · mate · chest · wound · leaves · perch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — clever
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — to breed

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