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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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