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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. band — a music group
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — certain
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — for sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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