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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — certain
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spell — magic
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — letters

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