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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — an aim
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. object — to protest
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — there
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — the time now
  24. bore — to tire

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