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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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468
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: stand · spring · calf · cell · deal · ground · fan · bear

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — of water
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — the 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