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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · bear · land · rock · calf · safe · bark · chest

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. land — to come down
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chest — a box
  24. bear — the animal

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