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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — to go away

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