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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a path
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — electric
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. bank — of a river

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