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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: ground · saw · calf · stick · bear · bark · rule · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — music
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — the earth
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ground — a position
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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