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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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