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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. shower — to wash
  13. kick — in football
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. shower — rain
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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