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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: sharp · leaves · tear · bulb · cap · pound · rush · bark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six 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. tear — to rip
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rush — hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

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