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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. shower — rain
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chest — of your body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chip — to eat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — a box
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — army training
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — a practice
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chest — of your body

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