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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. object — an aim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bat — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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