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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · march · bark · wax · calf · bay · track · hide

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. track — a path
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. bark — to shout

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