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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — there
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — with your hand

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