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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 120 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: band · bound · tear · bass · calf · mine · arm · last

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. last — finally
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. last — final
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tear — to rip
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. last — to go on
  24. tear — from crying

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