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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — for sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. court — of a king

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