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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — to turn a key

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