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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kick — in football
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a ring
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — a law
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rule — government
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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