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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: bark · land · track · bear · bulb · calf · wake · swing

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. swing — in golf
  12. track — a song
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. land — ground
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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