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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — low music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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