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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: hide · chair · scale · bound · nail · stem · rock · band

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — to come from
  5. band — a music group
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rock — music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bound — certain
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a ring
  24. scale — in music

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