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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.

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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: wave · leaves · bark · band · branch · safe · wound · chair

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — a division
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wave — with your hand

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