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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: fall · bore · bark · file · bound · wave · calf · pound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pound — a weight
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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