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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. firm — steady
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — of a river
  24. firm — a company

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