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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a face
  21. chest — a box
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — money

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