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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chest — of your body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — a box
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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