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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. staff — a stick
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a ring
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bore — to drill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to tire
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — of a river

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