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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 120 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: fan · bark · nail · calf · track · wave · mouse · face

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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