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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 116 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. object — an aim
  3. spring — of water
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. clip — a video
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — to protest
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — to shout
  24. clip — to cut

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