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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: bowl · march · rush · cap · firm · straw · calf · tear

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — from crying
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — of ice
  15. firm — decided
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — a company
  18. march — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bowl — a dish

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