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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cue — a signal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — of a river

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