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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  3. present — a gift
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a ring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — the season
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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