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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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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: content · rest · chip · fan · calf · bank · land · foot

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — to come down
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — of a river
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. foot — part of the body

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