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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — for betting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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