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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — 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