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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: band · bound · ruler · bore · lean · wind · calf · branch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. band — a ring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a music group
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — to tire
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — tied together

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