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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — a stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. last — finally
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — the underground

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