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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for golf
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — a group
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. foot — the bottom

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