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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rule — government
  24. shower — to wash

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