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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.

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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: calf · file · cabinet · content · bark · ruler · bulb · face

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. face — part of the head
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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