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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: march · chip · wind · bulb · leaves · spell · bark · dip

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — letters
  20. march — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spell — magic
  24. chip — for betting

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