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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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