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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — to visit
  10. object — to protest
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — an aim
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pop — soda
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — a division
  21. pop — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — a thing

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