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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — a weight
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to click
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — to hit hard

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