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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — for light
  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