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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bound — obliged
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kid — child
  16. march — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — certain

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