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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. club — for golf
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. dip — a sauce

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