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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. last — to go on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. last — finally
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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