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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: coach · bound · band · bank · dip · roll · trunk · bark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. band — a ring
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — tied together
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. roll — a list
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. roll — a cake
  24. trunk — 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