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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: bay · dip · march · bank · calf · tear

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — the month

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