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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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