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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: bound · ruler · branch · dip · wave · stick · band · coach

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. band — a music group
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — certain
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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