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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. swing — music
  12. key — in music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chest — of your body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — in music

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