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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: bound · present · band · saw · stand · wave · deal · tear

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — the time now
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bound — certain
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — a gift
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. present — there
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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