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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. drill — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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