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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · stick · racket · face · bark · kid · calf · bulb

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. face — to confront
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — a practice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — to shout
  19. drill — the tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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