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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 120 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: mate · dip · scale · trunk · bound · shower · can · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — to wash
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bound — obliged
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — certain
  20. band — a ring
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  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