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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — the month

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