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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
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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: bank · ball · straw · calf · wake · track · chair · cap

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — of ice
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cap — a lid
  18. track — a song
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. calf — of the leg

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