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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lie — to recline
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. band — a music group
  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