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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a word
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. root — the cause

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