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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bound — obliged
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — the fruit

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