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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: temple · wound · rule · patient · bark · pop · calf · fork

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rule — government
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pop — soda

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