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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — certain
  23. bank — of a river
  24. last — final

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