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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tear — to rip
  3. land — a country
  4. pop — to visit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — to come down
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — for digging

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