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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. key — the most important part
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. band — a ring
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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