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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — the amount
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. content — happy
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — a committee
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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