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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.

Words on the sheet
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: cabinet · current · land · kick · bark · bay · bulb · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — to come down
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — of water
  14. kick — in football
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — happening now
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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