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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
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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: bark · date · mouse · saw · wake · squash · bulb · rock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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