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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — decided
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — a company
  12. chest — a box
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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