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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — a song
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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