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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cold — not warm
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — rain
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cold — an illness

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