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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 124 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: bear · mate · temple · band · tube · foot · sharp · bound

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. band — a music group
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — a friend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — a measure

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