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

Word bank: firm · rock · spell · calf · fork · nail · fall · pound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fork — in a road
  8. firm — decided
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. fall — the season
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  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