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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: face · pit · plane · fine · band · bound · ball · trunk

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — to confront
  7. band — a ring
  8. ball — a dance
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a music group
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ball — a great time

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