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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. band — a music group
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — to wash
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bank — for money

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