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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: ruler · band · branch · spring · wave · toast · rock · bore

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — of water
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — the season
  7. bore — to tire
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. toast — bread
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bore — to drill

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