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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fall — the season
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — happy
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — in a race
  24. spring — a coil

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