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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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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: mouse · fall · tube · field · firm · stem · calf · stick

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — farmland
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — a company
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stem — to come from

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