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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — all right
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rest — a break

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