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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. track — a path
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — all right
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fall — the season

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