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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 · band · foot · bore · spring · temple · pop · nail

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — obliged

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