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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. roll — a list
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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