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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fine — all right
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. spell — magic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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