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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 116 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: swing · wave · bore · branch · bowl · band · squash · trunk

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. branch — a division
  16. bore — to drill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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