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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bark — to shout
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — thin
  17. kid — child
  18. fine — high quality
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. can — a tin

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