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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bark — to shout

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