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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: wave · bore · prune · coach · suit · wound · can · band

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — the fruit
  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