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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wind — moving air

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