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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bank — of a river
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. drill — army training
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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