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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: scale · pass · wound · bark · calf · kick · coach · wake

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — to shout
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — in music

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