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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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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bound — certain
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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