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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — happy
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. bark — to shout
  24. vault — a safe

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