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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. content — the amount
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. deal — a big deal

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