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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — hasty
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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