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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. key — in music
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — ground
  17. spring — a coil
  18. calf — of the leg

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