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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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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — certain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a music group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — to trim

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