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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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Word bank
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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: hide · calf · firm · shower · wound · spring · pound · bank

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. firm — a company
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. shower — rain
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pound — a weight

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