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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: bound · rest · calf · bark · prune · pit · hand · straw

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. straw — a straw man

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