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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a music group
  23. swing — to play on
  24. band — a ring

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