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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a grade
  5. firm — steady
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — decided
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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