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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 116 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: cue · lean · bulb · rock · mark · present · bark · snap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — thin
  20. present — a gift
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — a stone
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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