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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chair — a leader
  8. row — to paddle
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pop — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. band — a ring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. nail — for a hammer

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