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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — a video
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. dip — to sink

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