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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: kid · cell · root · lie · band · bulb · object · stick

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — the cause
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — a phone
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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