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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: hand · can · bulb · tear · kick · jam · rest · bark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. hand — help
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rest — a break
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bark — to shout

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