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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 120 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: bulb · bark · bore · rash · temple · chair · stick · calf

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rash — a series
  24. calf — of the leg

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