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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — child
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — to recline
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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