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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fall — the season
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. present — there
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bass — the instrument

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