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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. can — a tin

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