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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: hand · band · game · wave · stick · stand · bark · rock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — help
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. game — a match
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a music group
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rock — a stone
  23. game — a kind of play
  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