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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: plane · mark · leaves · degree · object · bound · prune · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. degree — from a university
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a grade
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bound — certain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — an amount
  17. band — a music group
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. prune — the fruit

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