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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 120 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: stand · mine · leaves · chest · spring · calf · pop · mug

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a face
  8. spring — a coil
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pop — soda
  24. mine — an explosive

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