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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · bear · capital · race · hide · staff

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. capital — money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. race — a contest
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — a company
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — employees

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