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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. branch — a division
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. board — a committee
  18. cell — in biology
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. present — there
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cell — in a prison

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