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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · cold · bulb · calf · firm · pass · fan · key

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cold — an illness
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. key — in music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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