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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: rock · calf · trunk · cap · mark · hand · bark · can

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a grade
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. can — to be able to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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