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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: calf · present · saw · tear · stock · firm · fall · coach

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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