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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bulb — for light

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