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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: row · calf · bark · snap · mine · rest · racket · mug

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a face
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. row — to paddle
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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