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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.

Words on the sheet
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: firm · stand · clip · stick · spring · straw · calf · stock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — a coil
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — to bear
  5. firm — steady
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stock — shares
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. firm — a company
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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