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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: ground · band · fan · bulb · bore · bound · lie · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bound — obliged
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — tied together
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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