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

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — in music
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  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