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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — a video
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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