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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — to point toward
  24. content — happy

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