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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: trunk · rule · bore · saw · stand · bear · band · fan

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — government
  6. band — a ring
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — a law
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — for spectators

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