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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: bear · straw · bark · temple · prune · cap · calf · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — to shout
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cap — a lid

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