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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 120 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: bass · calf · spell · pound · trunk · bound · wave · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — tied together

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