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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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 — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. game — wild animals
  12. march — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — help
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  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