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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — to protest
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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