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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: key · bulb · perch · band · bark · firm · lash · calf

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — the fish
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. bulb — of a plant

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