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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — what's left

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