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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — boats
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. craft — a skill
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — in football
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a hint
  20. capital — a city
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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