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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kick — in football
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bark — to shout

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