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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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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: calf · bark · wax · arm · kid · lash · track · tear

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kid — child
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — to tease
  17. track — a path
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. track — a song
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — to keep track

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