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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — happy
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a document
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. content — the amount
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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