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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: bark · fan · deal · kick · sharp · race · prune · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kick — in football
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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