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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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