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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: band · mouse · can · bound · branch · mine · temple · lean

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — a division
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a ring
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — thin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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