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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. band — a ring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — rain
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a music group
  19. kid — child
  20. track — a song
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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