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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 · cabinet · dip · bark · last · chip · rest · mark

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — to go on
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — final
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to sink
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — for light

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