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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — the season
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — hasty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. roll — a list
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — a series
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — the fruit

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