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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: fall · present · game · hand · ball · calf · bank · wound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — the season
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — help
  24. game — a match

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