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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: bank · calf · club · bay · toast · kid · wave · cold

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — a group
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — child
  20. cold — an illness
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bank — for money

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