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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — a coil
  11. land — to come down
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — in control
  15. spring — of water
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — a price
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bank — of a river
  20. land — ground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. craft — a skill

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