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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: bear · tear · drill · calf · pitcher · temple · firm · wave

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. firm — decided
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. drill — army training
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — a company
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — the animal

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