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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. club — for golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. bank — of a river
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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