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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — an amount
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — temperature
  18. face — part of the head
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — for a lock

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