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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: bark · chair · stand · bulb · dip · spell · kick · face

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. face — part of the head

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