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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.

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: game · dip · lean · ground · club · calf · wave · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — to bear
  6. club — a group
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — thin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ground — a position
  23. wave — of the sea
  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