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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: rock · sharp · bark · spell · bulb · cap · foot · cabinet

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — to shout
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — exactly

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