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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: calf · wind · fine · bear · fall · content · cap · stick

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. content — the amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fall — to drop

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