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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 120 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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bark — to shout
  6. band — a ring
  7. cold — not warm
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. band — a music group
  20. can — to be able to
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bulb — for light

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