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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: capital · wake · wax · bowl · calf · bay · date · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. capital — a city
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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