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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. wake — before a funeral

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