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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.

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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: wound · bay · mate · band · trunk · firm · bore · pass

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a partner
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pass — a permit

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