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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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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: swing · bulb · cabinet · hide · saw · bark · pitcher · last

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — the tool
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. last — finally
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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