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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.

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: cell · last · mine · bark · bulb · rock · calf · tube

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. mine — belonging to me

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