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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — to shout

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