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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: calf · can · fine · kick · clip · bark · branch · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — in football
  9. bark — to shout
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — a video
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — to cut
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — with a leg

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