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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · pound · branch · bulb · rock · content · lash · calf

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — a weight
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. content — happy
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — the amount

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