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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bank — of a river
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a tool
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. drill — a practice
  14. file — a document
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kick — in football
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. file — a line of people

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