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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. snap — to click
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. perch — the fish
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — to shout

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