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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: band · spell · saw · bound · last · can · rest · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. last — finally
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. spell — letters
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — magic
  24. rest — what's left

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