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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 120 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: fall · calf · cue · capital · bore · bark · bank · wake

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bore — to drill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bark — to shout
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — the season
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — before a funeral

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