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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spring — the season
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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