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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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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: staff · bear · can · bark · bulb · plane · mark · chest

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chest — a box
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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