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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — the month
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — animal skin

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