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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. scale — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — to go on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. bound — certain
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. last — final
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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