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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — a series
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bank — for money
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitcher — a jug

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