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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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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: key · mate · band · bark · ruler · cap · season · plane

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. season — of the year
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — a friend
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a music group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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