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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — ground
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kid — to tease
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — child
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to point toward
  13. land — a country
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — army training
  16. object — a thing
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. object — to protest
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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