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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. band — a ring
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a music group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mine — for digging
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — for golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. trunk — of a car

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