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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fall — the season
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — certain

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