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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: hand · firm · press · bear · calf · safe · temple · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. press — newspapers
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pound — a weight
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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