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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fall — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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