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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. band — a ring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river

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