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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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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ball — a dance
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — a line
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. key — in music

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