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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. clip — to cut
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. land — a country
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — in football

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