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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: tear · bark · calf · rash · mug · fine · board · stock

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — all right
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. board — to get on
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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