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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. row — to paddle
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — a country
  24. spell — a short time

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