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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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