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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a document
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. bank — of a river
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — a company
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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