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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. land — a country
  6. bark — to shout
  7. ground — a position
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a ring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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