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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: date · object · wax · bark · snap · pitcher · fork · calf

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. object — to protest
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. fork — in a road
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — to eat with

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