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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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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: chair · rush · band · stand · bound · bowl · trunk · bass

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chair — a professorship
  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