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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — a permit
  8. band — a music group
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a ring
  18. stem — to come from

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