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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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — a video
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bat — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — for light

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