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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 · trunk · deal · bass · wound · mine · bank

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bass — the fish

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