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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: mug · present · field · stand · spring · calf · mine · object

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spring — the season
  8. field — a subject
  9. present — a gift
  10. spring — a coil
  11. field — farmland
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. present — there
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — on your feet

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