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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. march — the month
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — in music
  24. fork — in a road

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