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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: pitcher · can · fall · straw · spring · bank · bore · calf

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spring — the season
  3. bank — of a river
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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