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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a ring
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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