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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — rain
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control

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