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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — a break
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — letters
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spell — magic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — to come down
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — a country

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