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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — to go on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — final
  12. field — a subject
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — in a road
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. field — for sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fork — to eat with

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