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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: wind · calf · racket · date · wake · shower · bank · stick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — of a river
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — rain
  24. date — the fruit

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