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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: calf · tear · wax · coach · deal · bark · mate · wake

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tear — to rip
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wax — to grow

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