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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: ruler · bound · wind · bore · leaves · trunk · hand · band

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hand — help
  3. bore — to tire
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — certain
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a music group

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