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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bark — to shout
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. content — happy
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. content — the amount
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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