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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — in a road

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