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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: row · bore · wave · trunk · land · bound · band · rush

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bore — to drill
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. land — a country
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. band — a ring
  18. land — to come down
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — hurry

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