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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.

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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 · mine · bulb · bark · deal · rush · plane · face

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. face — to confront
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mine — for digging
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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