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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. club — a group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bound — tied together
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — certain
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cold — not warm
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bulb — for light

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