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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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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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