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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. roll — a list
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — in control

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