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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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — a contest
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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