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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. club — a group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — to keep track
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. track — a song
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. dip — to sink

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