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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pit — in a race
  13. net — after costs
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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