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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — part of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — to crush

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