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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — certain
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — a division
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. band — a music group

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