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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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Word bank
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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: bark · roll · calf · bulb · bound · club · spell · lash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. club — for dancing
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — a group
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. roll — a cake
  23. club — for golf
  24. roll — a list

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