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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. row — a line
  2. object — an aim
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — to protest
  8. row — to paddle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — a thing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. row — a quarrel
  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