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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: dip · ruler · mug · clip · calf · fine · bark · pitcher

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mug — a face
  7. clip — a video
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — all right
  14. mug — a cup
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — for measuring

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