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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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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: season · scale · lean · bulb · bark · calf · file · press

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — newspapers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a document
  24. season — of the year

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