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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. file — a tool
  24. spell — magic

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