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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 · ground · snap · calf · rock · fall · pop · nail

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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