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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the instrument

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