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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 · bat · saw · fine · patient · stand · calf · bulb

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. firm — decided
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — on your feet

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