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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: staff · toast · ground · calf · row · present · track · firm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — a song
  13. ground — a position
  14. track — a path
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — a company
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — bread
  20. staff — a stick
  21. firm — decided
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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