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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 124 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — letters
  10. present — a gift
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — a match
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. date — the fruit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — there
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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