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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spring — the season
  5. race — the arms race
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spring — of water
  9. race — humankind
  10. net — in sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. race — a contest
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spring — a coil

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