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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bank — of a river
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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