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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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