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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — an aim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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