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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — to shout
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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