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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: roll · bark · kick · nail · coach · squash · can · wax

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — to crush
  4. roll — a cake
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — a list

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