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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — all right
  24. bank — of a river

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