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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — from crying
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — to go on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — final
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal

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