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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
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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: bound · face · snap · date · rock · leaves · band · trunk

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. face — part of the head
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to click
  15. rock — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bound — tied together
  18. face — to confront
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. date — the fruit
  24. band — a music group

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