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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
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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 · bear · capital · stem · last · ruler · spell · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — letters
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — decided
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. last — finally
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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