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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
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: spring · wave · stem · rule · band · toast · can · bark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — a law
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a ring
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. toast — bread

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