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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — on a finger

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