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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — a list
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — certain
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. roll — a cake

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