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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 120 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: calf · perch · wound · bank · spell · kick · fall · bear

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the 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