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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: fan · nail · calf · coach · wind · bark · stick · wax

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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