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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — 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