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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — a division
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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