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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 120 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: bear · bulb · can · bark · mate · wave · key · snap

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a friend

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