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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rule — government
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rule — a law
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — a practice
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — army training
  11. capital — a city
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. capital — money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. swing — in golf
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bank — for money
  22. band — a ring
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. swing — to play on

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