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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
468
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: mine · bark · march · saw · can · coach · stick · calf

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. march — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — a trainer

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