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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 116 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 · mug · rock · net · leaves · wound · root · saw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. net — in sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — a face
  12. root — of a plant
  13. band — a music group
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. net — after costs

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