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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · bay · content · date · mate · coach · nail · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a music group
  13. mate — a friend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — for a hammer

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