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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fall — the season
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chip — for betting

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