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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. face — to confront
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to point toward

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