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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — help
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lean — thin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bank — for money
  21. foot — a measure
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bank — for money

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