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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · rest · row · can · mine · bark · present · staff

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — there
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. row — a line
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mine — for digging
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — a stick
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — the time now
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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