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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: charge · prune · band · bore · tube · wake · bound · rush

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. tube — a container
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — to tire
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bound — obliged

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