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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: suit · leaves · nail · temple · track · clip · bore · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a path
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a song
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. clip — to cut
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. clip — a video
  24. bore — to tire

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