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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: stand · track · bark · coach · land · calf · wave · nail

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. land — ground
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. nail — for a hammer

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