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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — of a river
  3. key — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bat — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  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