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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chair — a leader
  6. toast — bread
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  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