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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kid — child
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — a partner
  11. last — final
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — a gift
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — to tease
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mate — a friend

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