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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — for golf
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. race — humankind
  10. bark — to shout
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — a short time
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — magic
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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