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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — money
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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