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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: bank · suit · bore · mine · wound · band · calf · cell

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. band — a ring
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a music group
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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