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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 116 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: perch · stand · fine · calf · cold · bank · field · bear

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — of a river
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — for money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — farmland

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