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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · perch · lie · pound · tube · mate · band · plane

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pound — a weight
  24. trunk — of a tree

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