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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: wake · calf · kick · rock · bank · field · march · fan

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. field — farmland
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — a trail
  21. field — for sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bank — of a river

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