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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — in sport
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — of the year
  19. band — a ring
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wax — to grow
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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