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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: present · chair · shower · tear · calf · ruler · bank · rush

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — the time now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chair — a leader
  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