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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: ball · prune · stick · lie · spring · bound · band · mouse

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a ring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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