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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a ring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. net — for catching
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — in sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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