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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. band — a music group
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bark — to shout
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — a container

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