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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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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: swing · branch · bound · hide · calf · wake · nail · band

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. band — a ring
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — to play on

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