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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — a path
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a song
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — animal skin

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