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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: rush · date · last · calf · craft · lie · stem · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. date — the fruit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — decided
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. last — to go on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. last — final
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rush — hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. craft — boats
  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