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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to drill
  13. march — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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