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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — the month
  6. row — to paddle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bat — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bat — in an idiom

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