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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 · cap · lean · rest · bulb · present · stick · tube

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — the time now
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cap — of ice
  24. present — a gift

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