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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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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — to protest
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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