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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a city
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. suit — to fit
  19. capital — money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. capital — a big letter

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