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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: wax · face · bound · mine · racket · band · charge · track

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — certain
  3. face — to confront
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. band — a ring
  6. track — a song
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — to keep track
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mine — for digging
  19. band — a music group
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a path
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. charge — a price

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