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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spell — magic
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lean — thin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — letters
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lean — to bend

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