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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 116 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: stick · wave · bark · field · calf · kid · wound · key

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kid — child
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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