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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 116 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: calf · game · stand · lie · staff · march · drill · content

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — army training
  4. content — happy
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. drill — a practice
  23. march — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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