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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. content — the amount
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bank — for money

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