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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.

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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: bark · bulb · band · lash · mark · fork · stick · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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