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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. cold — an illness
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — of a plant
  11. content — happy
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cold — not warm

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