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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — there
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — a thing
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — a match

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