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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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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: fine · lie · calf · wake · pop · bark · ball · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — soda
  11. present — a gift
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — all right
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. calf — a young 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