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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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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: nail · calf · bark · mark · tear · rest · rule · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — a law
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — to rip
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — government

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