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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. band — a ring
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a word
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a music group
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — a short time
  24. arm — part of the body

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