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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · bay · ruler · cold · leaves · snap · bulb · band

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a music group
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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