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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · spring · swing · wound · ground · date · present · bank

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — a gift
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. swing — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — a position
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. present — there

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