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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stand · lie · fine · wake · snap · scale · spring · calf

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — all right
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — size or range
  15. spring — a coil
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. scale — in music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — to bear

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