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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. rock — music
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — a division
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — the tool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rest — a break

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