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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ground — a position
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — a trail

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