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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. capital — money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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