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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bank — of a river
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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