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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — of a river
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a music group
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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