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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — to rob

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