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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bank — of a river
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bank — for money
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a music group
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — music

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