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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — a box
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — on the calendar

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