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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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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: ground · calf · patient · shower · pop · bank · mark · straw

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — a position
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pop — to visit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — soda
  24. mark — a trace

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