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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spring — the season
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hand — help
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a word
  12. bark — to shout
  13. spring — of water
  14. firm — steady
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — a company
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — of a plant

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