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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a music group
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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