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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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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 · content · hide · object · calf · race · bulb · leaves

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — to shout
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. content — happy

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