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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.

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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: mark · land · bark · calf · bound · charge · can · last

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — in control
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a grade
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. bark — to shout
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. last — final
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — of the leg

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