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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — final
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — the underground

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