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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.

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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. march — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. rock — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — there
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. calf — a young animal

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