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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kick — in football
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — a young animal

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