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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. tear — to rip

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