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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — army training
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — a thing
  24. bank — for money

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