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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a music group
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. shower — rain
  23. season — of the year
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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