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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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