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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
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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 · wake · stick · bark · mate · suit · row · sharp

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a music group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a ring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a line

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