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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — for money

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