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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a word
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — the cause

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