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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ground — crushed
  6. current — of water
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ground — the earth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. ground — a position
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — a company
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — of the year

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