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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. bank — for money
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — the animal

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