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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · calf · pound · stand · toast · mine · spell · roll

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — bread
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mine — for digging

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