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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — a position
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fall — the season

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