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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: calf · bark · ground · key · date · mug · hide · rash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — hasty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ground — the earth
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — a position

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