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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — on a finger

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