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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: wave · calf · kick · bulb · stand · field · firm · rest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — a company
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — a break
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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