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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 · roll · tear · wave · pop · craft · calf · root

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pop — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. craft — boats
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a skill
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — to visit
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. craft — a handicraft

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