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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: bark · pit · mate · deal · hide · rock · calf · rash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  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