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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. court — of law
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of a king
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. court — for sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — clothes
  22. march — music
  23. suit — in cards
  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