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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · patient · stand · clip · pop · spring · shower · calf

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — of water
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. shower — rain
  10. stand — to bear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pop — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. patient — a sick person

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