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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. content — the amount
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bear — to put up with

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