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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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