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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.

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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: bark · trunk · fine · coach · march · lie · bulb · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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