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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · lean · pound · calf · club · leaves · game · bear

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. game — a match
  3. club — a group
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pound — a weight
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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