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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. land — a country
  5. clip — a video
  6. lean — to bend
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. clip — to cut
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. land — to come down
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — thin

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