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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — in football
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tube — a container
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a ring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — to tire

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