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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pound — to hit hard

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