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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: bank · band · lean · calf · bass · mate · dip · row

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. band — a ring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — to sink
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — the fish
  17. band — a music group
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — to bend

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