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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — a face
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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