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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hand — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hand — help
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — in sport
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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