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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — a face
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mug — a cup
  24. board — a committee

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