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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: mug · staff · coach · calf · bark · march · wake · lean

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lean — to bend
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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