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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: bat · wind · fine · march · bank · kick · nail · calf

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — in football
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — for money

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