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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. shower — rain
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lean — thin
  24. root — of a plant

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