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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — in a tire

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