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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — to move gently

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