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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: pit · cap · wave · rock · last · rush · band · bound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. last — final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. band — a music group
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cap — a hat

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