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

Word bank: rest · bark · bank · calf · wax · deal · lie · court

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — to grow
  13. court — for sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. court — of a king
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — a break

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