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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. land — to come down
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — in football

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