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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse 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. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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