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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — a permit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — gave birth

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