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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 120 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: stick · band · bulb · face · fall · root · mark · deal

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a grade
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a word
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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