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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. face — part of the head
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stem — to come from
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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