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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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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: trunk · bound · mine · mate · jam · band · lean · deal

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. band — a ring
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mine — for digging

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