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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. band — a music group
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — in a road
  19. band — a ring
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a car

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