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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bear · wake · can · cold · band · board · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a ring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — to shout
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a music group
  24. cold — an illness

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