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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — for dancing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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