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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · snap · object · bulb · safe · date · bark · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. date — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — an aim
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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