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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a ring
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mark — a grade
  24. season — to add flavour

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