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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.

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: band · bark · wound · game · stick · cap · fan · bear

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — a lid
  24. band — a music group

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