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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 116 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: dip · content · pitcher · tear · calf · trunk · bank · firm

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — steady
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. content — happy

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