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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 124 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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — the underground
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — of the leg

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