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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — soda
  7. roll — a list
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. roll — a cake
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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