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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — to crush
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a tree

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