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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cold — an illness

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