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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 124 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — happening now
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a music group
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — of the year
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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