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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bark — to shout
  23. shower — rain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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