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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.

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: scale · prune · bulb · bear · cell · hand · hide · bark

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hand — in cards
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hand — help
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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