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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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 — before a funeral
  2. file — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. file — a document
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — the cause
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — a penalty
  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