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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a ring
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. band — a music group
  18. 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