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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. swing — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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