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

Word bank: bark · calf · wake · field · rest · bowl · fall · mark

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — farmland
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mark — a trace
  22. field — for sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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