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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. tear — to rip
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wave — with your hand

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