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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: band · spell · mine · lean · toast · wave · rule · bound

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spell — letters
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bound — obliged
  17. toast — bread
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — government
  20. band — a ring
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — with your hand

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