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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: dip · calf · kid · stick · firm · spring · pass · present

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — to tease
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — child
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — steady
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young 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