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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: mark · wave · bulb · bark · cell · fine · dip · last

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cell — a phone
  3. last — final
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cell — in biology

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