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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 120 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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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: cell · calf · fork · bank · ground · lie · bark · key

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — for money

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