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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — the time now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. present — a gift
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chair — a leader
  18. present — there
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  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