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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cold — an illness
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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