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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 124 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — a series
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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