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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 116 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: band · wound · tube · rock · rush · spell · mate · leaves

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. band — a music group
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tube — the underground
  15. band — a ring
  16. spell — magic
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — a thrill

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