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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. content — happy
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — a penalty

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