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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: last · rush · calf · bark · chip · stand · swing · wax

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chip — for betting
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — final
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stand — to bear
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — to go on

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