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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — thin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — bread
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — certain

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