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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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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: lean · key · wake · firm · drill · cell · bark · calf

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cell — a phone
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — army training
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — decided
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bark — of a tree

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