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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bank — for money
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bank — of a river

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