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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — for sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — a series
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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