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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — to paddle
  24. drill — army training

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