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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: lie · bound · suit · bore · band · present · chest · can

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chest — of your body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — certain

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