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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · bear · bound · row · content · band · lash · wake

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. band — a music group
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. row — a line

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