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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cap — a lid
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rock — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a face
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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