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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — to fit
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — the amount
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a music group
  19. track — a path
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a ring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — to go away

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