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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — there
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. present — the time now

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