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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a cup
  5. row — a line
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a face
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bank — of a river

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