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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. root — the cause
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — thin
  21. root — of a word
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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