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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: cap · plane · pop · band · lash · mouse · current · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. band — a music group
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pop — soda
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. bound — tied together
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pop — music

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