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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — a committee
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a tree

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