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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: race · calf · charge · coach · bark · tear

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bark — to shout
  18. charge — in control

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