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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: club · shower · last · safe · bark · kick · bulb · mark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — a group
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — final
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — in football
  24. bark — to shout

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