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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: content · bark · cell · bulb · wax · object · kick · lie

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — an aim
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — a phone

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