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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: leaves · rock · bore · rush · trunk · band · can · deal

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bore — to drill
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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