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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. club — a group

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