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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: can · net · shower · nail · calf · bark · pound · wax

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bark — to shout
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — to be able to
  14. shower — rain
  15. net — for catching
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

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