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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · calf · pass · kick · bank · cell

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. 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. ground — a position
  2. cell — in biology
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cell — a phone
  18. 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