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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: fine · foot · fall · calf · bear · mate · bark · mark

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mate — to breed
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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