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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  24. track — to keep track

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