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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · band · board · net · firm · chest · leaves · mate

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — a company
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mate — a friend
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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