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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — a coil
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — a friend
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — to breed
  23. date — on the calendar
  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