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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kid — child
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — a supporter

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