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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
468
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: toast · kick · bank · shower · rock · hand · calf · plane

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — rain
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. toast — bread
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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