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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — electric
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of a king
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a music group
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — with your hand

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