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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — the amount
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — a coil
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — happy

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