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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: bear · bark · can · bulb · capital · patient · lie · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — to recline
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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