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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.

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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 · land · bulb · safe · stock · hide · bound · spring

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — goods
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bound — certain
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — ground
  16. spring — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stock — shares

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