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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 · dip · calf · fan · ground · pitch · lie · bear

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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