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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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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 · mate · trunk · rock · cue · cold · stick · bulb

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — an illness
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. band — a ring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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