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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — a division
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. band — a ring
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. field — farmland
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — a subject

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