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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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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: object · season · firm · calf · fork · band · tear · file

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. season — of the year
  15. tear — from crying
  16. object — to protest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tear — to rip
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. season — in sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. firm — a company

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