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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — there
  3. tear — from crying
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cue — a signal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — of a river
  23. present — the time now
  24. season — of the year

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