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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 · hide · trunk · tube · perch · firm · bore · bound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a music group
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — certain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. firm — a company
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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