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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. last — final
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — a cup
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — for a hammer

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