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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: race · kick · rush · lean · pop · wax · bark · bulb

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pop — soda
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — in football
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — humankind
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. race — a contest
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — thin

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