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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 · tear · calf · fan · staff · toast · wind · stick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — to rip
  5. toast — bread
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. staff — a stick
  10. tear — from crying
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — decided
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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