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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · press · calf · bulb · plane · capital · mate · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mate — a friend
  15. press — a publisher
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — a tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bulb — of a plant

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