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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a lid
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bark — to shout
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — a measure

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