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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — certain
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — obliged
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mark — a grade

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