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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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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: race · bulb · stem · calf · saw · lean · pitch · bark

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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