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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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. bass — low music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — to be able to
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — a tin

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