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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: bulb · land · mug · bark · key · hide · wave · face

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — to rob
  5. land — a country
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to confront
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a face
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — to come down
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — ground
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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