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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. band — a music group
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. shower — rain
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. band — a ring

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