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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: march · race · calf · bulb · snap · rush · bark · wound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. race — a contest
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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