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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. bark — to shout
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — a practice
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bank — of a river

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