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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 120 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: bowl · mark · wound · fine · lean · club · calf · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. club — for dancing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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