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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 120 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: rock · season · saw · plane · stand · firm · calf · court

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stand — to bear
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — music
  15. firm — a company
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — steady
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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