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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: band · bear · trunk · plane · bark · race · dip · stand

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. race — a contest
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. plane — a tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. race — the arms race
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. dip — a sauce

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