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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 116 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: bark · pitcher · calf · dip · trunk · mouse · wave · saw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — to sink
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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