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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: bulb · leaves · suit · foot · land · current · clip · bark

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bark — to shout
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — to fit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — of water
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. foot — a measure
  22. current — electric
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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