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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: rock · calf · fork · lean · mug · wound · club · cap

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a cup

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