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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. club — a group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a ring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pass — to spend time

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