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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spring — of water
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a list
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spring — a coil

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