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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — a series
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bulb — for light

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