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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — of a tree

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