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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — a box
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — to drop
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. snap — to click
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — music

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