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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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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: bark · safe · lash · ground · march · tear · object · calf

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — to protest
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. march — the month
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. march — the month
  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