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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a ring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — for baseball

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