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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — for paper
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. clip — to cut
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — rain
  24. fork — in a road

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