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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 116 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 · stem · degree · bank · bear · prune · hand · firm

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. degree — from a university
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — help
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — steady
  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