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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — the amount
  24. craft — a skill

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