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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — a video
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — final
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stand — on your feet

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