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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: bulb · lean · mate · bark · track · saw · hand · hide

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. track — a path
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — thin
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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