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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — the season
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spring — a coil
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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