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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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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: kick · wax · band · fork · bowl · rock · snap · bound

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. snap — to click
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — music
  6. band — a ring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — in football
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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