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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. sharp — clever
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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