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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. bank — of a river
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. shower — rain
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. band — a music group
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. shower — to wash
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. can — a tin
  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