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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — for a lock
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bank — of a river
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — a law
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — crushed

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