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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: spell · land · scale · sharp · fan · bark · bulb · leaves

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bark — to shout
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — magic
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. land — ground
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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