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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a face
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a cup

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