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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 · bark · mark · trunk · coach · net · dip · straw

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. dip — to sink
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — to shout
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — in sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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